Jen's Guest Appearance

Well, I've been thinking a lot about what to say to make your reading this worthwhile.  Some of you may be interested in all the child-birthing details... some of you would run screaming if I wrote those.  As I've thought about what is relevant (and appropriate) to share, I've concluded that the only thing that REALLY matters is where God was in all of this, and how HE worked through this experience.  (and maybe a few entertaining details along the way)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3: 5-6

God placed on our hearts a desire to stay in Belgrade to deliver Wilson from early in the pregnancy.  Getting information about hospitals and procedures wasn't exactly easy, but somehow people kept coming into our lives who helped us one tiny step at a time.  We became more and more confident in our decision as time went on, and many things confirmed that a local hospital would be the best choice for us... after all, if they deliver 7000 babies every year at ONE hospital, they must be doing something right!  We chose the biggest of the hospitals and went for a visit.  That was interesting, due to my limited language abilities, but we managed to get satisfactory answers to our questions and lay eyes on the place where this all would happen.  The staff was wonderful, and we left feeling hopeful and optimistic.

Fast forward to the time to actually BIRTH the kid... the due date came and went, and my doctor had told me to go to the hospital when that happened, and the doctors there would tell me what to do next.  (it's a private doctor/public hospital issue... complicated, but I had to have a different doctor to actually deliver the baby).  So we did.  One very long day of misunderstood language and unnecessary waiting, we finally met a doctor who was really great... but was leaving for his ski vacation the next day.  He suggested I meet his colleague.  Which I did the following day.  He seemed very competent and as a bonus spoke great English... increasing my comfort level substantially.  So we made a plan to "maybe induce" the delivery on the following Monday.  (This was Friday).  Sunday started early with contractions I knew were the real deal, so we waited.  It took all day for the contractions to get close enough to warrant going to the hospital, and when we finally did, the nurse confirmed I was in labor and called the doctor, who came right away (on Sunday evening!!)  Fast forward again an hour or so, and I was resting comfortably in the delivery room with Kyle by my side, enjoying the bliss of epidural anesthesia.  When the doctor came in to check on things, we were ready to push, and two pushes later, Wilson was with us.  Coated in betadine, he was ready to meet the world.  :) 

All of this said, I should point out that if I had gone into labor on or before his due date, I wouldn't have known this doctor that made us feel so comfortable.  Additionally, there were 31 babies born on Friday, and on Sunday, when Wilson was born, 2, counting him.  Everything was peaceful and quiet, and it felt like the whole world was waiting silently for this little guy to arrive.  The doctor commented to the nurse that we were Christians when he witnessed us praising God and praying over Wilson when he arrived.  I had reserved an "apartment" at the hospital for after the delivery, which I understood to mean private room, so I was disappointed to find out that I had a roommate.  However, I was able to share with her about God's faithfulness in my life, and I understood better why things were the way they were.  The evidence has been all around us, from the joy our neighbors and friends in Belgrade have been able to share with us, to the ease of navigating a confusing hospital system (confusing at least to foreigners)... God DID go before us and made our path straight.  And I can't say how thankful I am that he did.  Additionally, I never felt alone in this process.  Our friends and family in the states, and around the world, were lifting us up in prayer.  I felt like I was walking into the hospital with God having gone before me and my "network" of prayer warriors behind me.  It was an amazing feeling to say the least.  Wilson entered the world while our church family sat in classes in Rockwall, Texas, praying for us at 11:50 am Texas time.  The Lord is good, all the time... and we can do nothing but praise him for his goodness and unfailing love.

It turns out there's not much entertaining in all of that.  So here are a few of the differences between my previous birth experiences and this one.  1) Excessive (in my opinion) use of betadine... bottles of it everywhere, available for squirting all over someone at a moment's notice.  2) Expert swaddling practices... I really mean this... these nurses were PROS at wrapping up a baby to the point of immobility.  3) I had never eaten mustard with my breakfast wienies prior to this hospital stay.  4) The focus on umbilical cord disinfection and subsequent bundling in sterilized cotton was greater than I've seen in the past.  There are a few more details that need not be mentioned here, but I'll close this section with one of my favorite things a nurse said to my baby in Serbian, probably one of the few things that I understood word for word, and I thought it was sweet, so I'll share it.  She was changing his diaper and then began swaddling him (see referenced expert swaddling skills mentioned above) and as his tiny arms flailed about, she said sweetly, "You are a strong little man, but I am stronger," and in one fell swoop she had him swaddled and content.  :) 

So there's my blog.  I hope it was worth the time you took reading it.  Kyle's really a lot better at this than I am, but I hope you enjoyed hearing about our experience from both perspectives.   Much love to you all, Jen